Disclaimer: I do not own POTO, End of the World by The Cure, or System from the Queen of the Damned soundtrack. I do, however, own Petals of a Black Rose. If you take it, Erik will Punjab you. And you won't get to swoon at him before hand either. So HA!
OK! I finally have my own computer! Let me fill you in on all that has been happening in my oh so interesting life. You may not care, but what the hell! My mother and stepfather moved to California, my sister moved into her own apartment, and I am now a college student at UT! And a new member of Alpha Xi Delta! I got my gorgeomous blue Toshiba laptop yesterday! SQUEEE! So, now that my life is some what becoming normal again, the updates are back! So, here it is!
Christine gave a small shriek of surprise as she felt herself being jerked up off the dance floor. Before she could straighten her dress from being twisted around her legs, the arm pulled her forward, through the masked couples, staring curiously at her tear streaked face. She put her head down, slightly angry at how those morons were gawking at her.
'Haven't you ever seen anyone cry before,' she thought viciously as some of the girls were pointing no doubt at the black makeup that must be streaming down the skull mask.
Christine then thought to look up at who exactly was hurriedly leading her through the vast crowd, swerving in between them to the back of the dimly lit ballroom.
'Ah, should have known.'
She no longer resisted him as she knew exactly who he was and the probable reason he opened a door at the back of the room and gently pushed her inside.
Stepping a few feet away from the door, Christine turned around, her train once again a stream of blood red stain, to address the shadow that she knew so well.
"James," she whispered.
He closed the door softly behind him, as not to arouse suspicion, and walked carefully to her, his heavy, black dress shoes making no sound on the pattern less carpet. She could see the outline of his curly blond hair in the poor light and a determined gleam in his eyes, partially hidden beneath his simple white mask.
"Christine," he began, his voice no louder than his footsteps, "you can't keep doing this."
She signed and broke eye contact with him to absentmindedly glance around the dim room. It was obviously used for conferences as large round wooden tables were scattered in an orderly fashion around the room with ample cushioned chairs. A long table covered with a plain off white cloth stretched across much of the far wall with a short podium sitting on the middle of the table. An American flag hung lackluster on a tall, brass pole to the side of the room, the flag dead looking with a strong breeze toss it about.
"I know," she said after a long pause of silence, the only noise being the booming music from the celebrating teenagers in the next room.
"Well, then why don't you do anything about it!" James said fiercely, the suddenly loud noise echoing in the near deserted room.
Christine said nothing as she knew his words to be true. She said she was over Raoul, she told herself she was over Raoul, then why did the mere sight of him make her heart and body ache?
"Christine," James tried again, regaining his former quiet tone, "I have known you for a long time. I must confess that, if the circumstances would have been different, I would have asked you out a long time ago. But, it just wasn't meant to be with us. And you went out with Raoul, who probably never loved you in the first place and you got hurt. Big deal. It happens everyday. Now you have someone who deeply cares for you, much more than Raoul could possibly have, but you keep pushing him away! Don't do this Christine, don't make him up on you."
His words struck her heart, which she clutched as she realized it to be true.
Raoul never loved me…
All this time, she had been desperately been clinging to that stupid promise that he had once made to her, the promise that he would love her forever. And she, hoping that her first love would be true, had believed him whole heartedly.
What a fool I was…
A weight seemed to be lifted from the very core of her heart, that which had been squeezing her soul painfully was released. A new light filled her eyes as she realized this revelation at smiled at it, but was quickly diminished as she thought of Erik.
Erik…
Without another word to James, she swept past him to the door. She felt his eyes following her and turned back to him, clad in a black tuxedo which camouflaged with the darkness.
"Thank you James," she whispered, smiling warmly, "I hope you find true love someday."
Christine left him, still smiling as she went of in search of Erik, and didn't see him shake his head slowly and take off the mask, the faint light reflecting from it, his eyes still to the door.
"Too bad it couldn't be you."
Christine strode across the ballroom, her head held high and oblivious to the stares and whispers directed towards her. She thought not of the people around her, those who were just faces in the crowd, but of the one person who was a true individual.
Erik…
She reached the stage, Erik tuning his guitar and determinedly not looking at her as she scaled the platform and walked to the microphone.
'No worries,' she thought, her blue eyes drinking in every glorious inch of him, 'I will make it up to you.'
Christine took a few deep breaths and covered the microphone with her hand as she sang a few notes. She smiled gleefully to herself as she prepared herself for what was to come next.
"Petals of a Black Rose," she said simply into the microphone.
Her eyes closed momentarily as Erik began to play the opening lines and the crowd gathered curiously around the stage. She opened her eyes as she began to sing the words that she herself had written.
You once told me you loved me.
I was dumb enough to think you might be true.
But then you said it was over.
I thought you'd ripped my heart in two.
Well I got something' to tell yah.
I've realized that I never loved you.
Petals of a Black Rose,
Twirling, swirling way up high;
Twirling, swirling, touch the sky…
Petals of a Black Rose,
Secrets that you'll never know.
Crushed by your ego,
Affection that you never showed.
Petals of a Black Rose,
Confessions of "I hate you so!"
Shave off your mustache,
All you did was make me feel low…
Christine wrenched her eyes away from the chandelier that she had been focusing on and studied the crowd. Some of them had begun to dance to the fast pace for the music while some, including some of her old "friends" were staring at her in disbelief. They knew all too well who the song was directed at, having been given the full, if not accurate, details of the whole drama.
'Let them stare,' she thought menacingly to herself, narrowing her eyes and smirking at them before she began to sing again.
I always hear your laughter.
The sound that makes me wanna SCREAM!
Some day you're gonna get punjabbed,
That'll be the day of my dreams.
I hear you've got a new girlfriend.
The ugly one you said you'd never go out with.
Was she the real reason we broke up?
Have you ever told the truth?
Petals of a Black Rose,
Twirling, swirling all around;
Twirling, swirling heaven bound…
Petals of a Black Rose,
Lies that you told to me.
Actin' like a nice guy,
Something that you'll never be.
Petals of a Black Rose,
Tears that I've shed for you.
Streaming down my face,
Wondering what you knew…
Christine dared to glance at Erik as he played his squealing guitar solo and felt her heart beat faster as she realized he was watching her.
My Angel of Music…
Petals of a Black Rose,
Regrets that I'll never feel.
You made me hate myself,
Questioning what was real.
Petals of a Black Rose,
Moments that I gave to you.
Wish I could get them back,
Give them to someone new.
The music started to slow some what as Christine sang the last verses, her eyes still glued to Erik.
'Please be listening to me!' she thought desperately.
Petals of a Black Rose,
Memories that bring me pain.
Dwell on them, I will not do,
Cause I know I'll love again.
Petals of a Black Rose,
Twirling all around me.
They mean so many things,
Things only I can see…
The audience, though some very shocked, applauded loudly, but Christine paid no heed, the only approval she desired was that of Erik's. It wasn't until after the applause and the immediate sudden disinterest of the crowd did Erik finally turn to her and give her a weak smile, causing Christine to grin like an idiot.
"Christine!" she heard Meg yell in front of her, "sing something! The hooligans are getting squirrelly!"
She shook her head and turned once again towards the crowd, obviously eager to have something to dance to, cleared her throat, and without introduction began the next piece.
It was one that she had listened to many times, sometimes immediately after it had finished and reveled in the opportunity to raise her voice to the mysteriously beautiful music. She swayed side to side in time with the slow, hypnotic beat and began to sing.
You fell away
What more can I say
The feelings evolved
I won't let it out
I can't replace your screaming face
Feeling the sickness inside
Why won't you die?
Your blood in mine
We'll be fine
Then your body will be mine
Closing her eyes and allowing herself to be possessed by the rhythm of the music, Christine began a slow dance to the band's melodic sound, oblivious to the crowd that watched her silently.
So many words
Can't describe my face
This feeling's evolved
So soon to break out
I can't relate
To a happy state
Feeling the blood run inside
Why won't you die?
Your blood in mine
We'll be fine
Then your body will be mine
A heavy, dark force of Erik and James's guitars combined with Andre's percussion took over the mysterious feel of earlier, causing the very walls of the ballroom to shake with the pure magnitude of glorious sound. Christine's singing became just as strong as she sang the lyrics, Erik accompanying her in a powerful duet.
Why is everything so f-king hard for me?
Keep me down to what you think I shall pay!
Must you tempt me and provoke the ministry?
Keep on trying I'm not dying so easily
I will not die...
Why is everything so f-king hard for me?
I will not die...
Why is everything so f-king hard for me?
Christine wrenched the microphone from its stand to join Erik where he was playing and singing through gritted teeth. His grey eyes bore into hers as they sang to each other, his looking all the more sinister in the skull mask surrounded by heavy black eye makeup and the flecks of gold gleaming in the bright lights of the stage.
Why won't you die?
Your blood in mine
We'll be fine
Then your body will be mine
Why won't you die?
Your blood in mine
We'll be fine
Then your body will be mine
Why won't you die?
Your blood in mine
We'll be fine
Then your body will be mine
The haunting melody of the beginning became the focus once more as the song softly died away, the rapturous applause releasing Erik and Christine from their eye lock.
"Erik…" she began softly, barely heard above the din of noise.
"Shhh…" he replied, cutting her off with a gloved finger to his lips, "we'll talk later."
"Ok," Christine agreed, giving him a small smile and returning to the microphone stand.
Deciding to lighten the tone a little bit, this was prom after all, she smiled at the cheering crowd and immediately began to sing.
Go if you want to
I never tried to stop you
Know there's a reason
For all of this you're feeling
Love its not my call
You couldn't ever love me more
You couldn't love me more
You couldn't love
Me I don't show much
Its not that hard to hide you
See in a moment
I cant remember how to
Be all you wanted
I couldn't ever love you more
I couldn't love you more
I couldn't love
You want me to cry and play my part
I want you to sigh and fall apart
We want this like everyone else
Stay if you want to
I always wait to hear you
Say there's a last kiss
For all the times you run this
Way its not my fault
You couldn't ever love me more
You couldn't love me more
You couldn't love
Love me more
Christine smiled again as she noticed that most of the crowd had abandoned their places around the stage to dance to the unusual sounding music.
She caught eye contact with Meg who was jamming' in the front row and gave her a silly little wave before singing again.
I couldn't ever love you more
I couldn't love you more
I couldn't love
You want me to lie not break your heart
I want you to fly not stop and start
We want us like everything else
Maybe we didn't understand
It's just the end of the world
Maybe we didn't understand
Not just a boy and a girl
Its just the end of the
end of the world
Me I don't say much
Its far too hard to make you
See in a moment
I still forget just how to
Be all you wanted
I couldn't ever love you more
I couldn't love you more
I couldn't love you more
I couldn't love you more
I couldn't love you more…
Again, I'm really sorry about the extremely long hiatus. Meh! I wouldn't be surprised if I don't get any reviews at all! Don't get me wrong, they would be greatly appreciated, so…please be a good egg and review! Love and Peace! Kupo!